Actually it was supposed to be a "sad" face, but the closest image I had was the frown.

I'm just sad to hear about a chat group being formed on our own bulletin board, especially about learning medical transcription, when all the MTs that visit the Gab could benefit so much from reading friendly and informative exchanges among other MTs.

I feel it is analogous to inviting some friends to your restaurant for a free dinner and then they openly make plans about eating somewhere else - as if there was something wrong with your place. I think it would just be courteous that plans to eat somewhere else would be made outside, so the owner wouldn't be offended.

Of course we're new to hosting a free bulletin board and we do fund it so that MTs can meet and exchange ideas - and that is all that is being done. So, I guess I'm too sensitive. I suppose I'll get a thicker skin over time.

SOMara

Somara, I am so sorry that I offended you. I had no intent to cause anyone any injured feelings. I was just trying to find a way to benefit myself and have a fast and convenient way to commuicate. So I guess I was being selfish and didn't think of others feelings, so please take down my post and to the others feelings I may have hurt, I am truly sorry. Thank you to all who replied, I am sorry.
Nadine

Nadine:

Please do not be so hard on yourself! I knew that anything that was done was completely unintentional and without any malice. I know you did not intend to offend us and your offer to others was quite innocent. I really believe this.

As I said, we have a lot to learn about offering free usage of the board to the public. I think I have to learn that I cannot and should not comment on how people decide to use the forum (within reason).

It is just that there are so many people out there who would truly benefit from some discussions that MTs decide to have among themselves. The spirit of MT Gab is to share your experiences, problems, solutions, so others may benefit. A lot of members do not contribute but I can assure you they visit the Gab and read all the messages - I see the numbers every day.

A lot of our members love to read what people have to say and even have their favourites. It's almost like following a soap opera for some members.

By the way, as Administrator, I always have the ability to stop a thread, delete a membership, or delete a forum - which I did not do - and I have been following the thread since its inception. So, you see, I was not THAT upset. I am sorry I made you feel so guilty, as that really was not my intention when I commented on the thread, and did not mean to make it sound like any remarks were directed to you personally.

(You really have to understand that for any web site or bulletin board to have any hope of being financially self-sufficient at some point, everything depends on page "hits." The more page hits a site has, the more likely it is to get sponsors. Therefore, anything that takes people away from the site, and lowers page hits, makes owners and webmasters go into a cold sweat - I'm sure I simply over-reacted.)

As I said, I'm learning and have never been known to hold a grudge - so please just continue to use our BB as you would like.
[img]http://www.medword.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img] [img]http://www.medword.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Sincerely,

SOMara

What? No cat fight??? heheh Just joking!!

I have visited other MT Message Boards and this is the most friendly and relaxing of the ones I have seen. Sometimes my heart palpitates when I read how rude some people can be.

Regarding Nadine's post, SOMara, I was just wondering if Medword.com has a chat room or if they would consider starting one. It might be a good idea for people like Nadine who would like a one-on-one. ...just a thought... the wheels are always turning...

SOMara, I would like to own up to my part in the scandal lol, It was my idea to ask about the frown face becuase we really truely did not know anything was wrong, both Nadine and I saw it about the same time, But I just had to find out what it meant.( which is how all this got started ) After you posted and explained, I know that Nadine was very sorry that she had upset anyone. I know for a fact that was not her intention. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that these message boards are our lifeline to information we would not have otherwise. They are appreciated so much and also the people that keep them going.I do understand your point SOMara, we just did'nt think of it that way until you explained. What I'm trying to say is that it was an innocent mistake and I know you realize that and I wanted to thank you for understanding SOMara. And to you Nadine.. it WAS a good idea while it lasted! lol. Sorry SOMara I had to say it!

Glad to see everyone talking. Thought the chat was a good idea but now I see that this is better, more thought-provoking. Having time between posts to see what has been said and think about replies is easier for me, not so quick on my feet (or is it fingers?).
Just starting. Trying to accumulate library of useful tools. Anyone have any ideas about a good place to start? What about the AAMT style book/disc? Anyone use it? Do the different docs set up their own styles or is it up to us?
Ange

------------------

Ange,
thought I would tell you about a book that I found VERY informative and helpful in helping me make my decision to get into this field. "The Independent Medical Transcriptionist" by Donna Avil-Weis and Mary Glaccum. You can probably get it at the library thats where I got mine. It answers all questions you might have and has info that you can use for future reference. I'm going to buy a copy to keep. Hope this helps!

Hello everyone:

Nadine: Everything I said still stands. No hard feelings and I don't want to make a "mountain out of a molehill." As I said, go ahead and make any plans here for your chat sessions. At least you're visiting here and still contributing to other forums. I hope all that is behind us and there are no hard feelings.


Jeany: What if I started a new Forum for correspondence courses? - not the same as chat though. Also, if you set up your Gab member profile so you are e-mailed whenever a comment is made in the forum, you can get a decent flow of conversation going. We have had a lot of people purchase "Personal Edge" Training courses, so I was considering opening a forum up on correspondence and "at-home" courses, as people often find this support helpful.

mum1218:

Ditto for my comment to Nadine. Also, you said to Nadine:
I would hate to think I put the brakes on anything that lets people communicate or learn, so that is why I said that you can continue to make plans here at the Gab if you need to.

ange42:

You said:

This is one of the reasons we decided on a bulletin board rather than other communication systems. BBs are also cheaper to buy, easier to set up, and much easier for inexperienced people to use.

mum1218:

I don't believe in the paranormal, but I do believe in coincidence, something that just happened. I was reviewing our book sales (looking for the top 10 books) and right after I determined that our #2 seller since October 1998, is "The Independent Medical Transcriptionist" by Donna Avil-Weis and Mary Glaccum. Right at the moment I realized that, I got a notification of your post - wherein you discuss the same book. (Insert Twilight Zone music here ).

If anyone is interested in purchasing (sorry for the sales plug) or reading more about this book, here is the link:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1877810231/medword

By the way, we hope to be adding a new page on the top 10 requested books at our site soon.

SOMara

[This message has been edited by SOMara (edited June 05, 1999).]

SOMara,
Wow!! Lots of answers there! I think the forum you mentioned would be a great addition. Things are so much more complicated now than when I went to MT school a million years ago, so I'm sure it will benefit many. Also, regarding the EMail, I don't think mine is set up that way, but when I take breaks from work, I check out MTGab. I actually come here before checking my mail. I use a different computer than this one to work on, so I get a little exercise walking from one room to the other LOL. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Great Idea on the book site! The first thing I did when I became interested in learning more about MT was to search the library for books on the subject...I found 1. Then I went to the bookstore and they had lots of medical books but none specific on MT. They said they could order but I had no titles or knew what was available. I'm sure every MT wanna be has went thru this. I think having a list of books on the subject available would be SOOO helpful. Especially in a top 10 sellers list so we would know what is worth purchasing. Go for it!